


the wings of a butterfly

by peachsneakers



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Dukexiety - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22204729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers
Summary: Remus finds Virgil drawing butterflies.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Comments: 29
Kudos: 375





	the wings of a butterfly

**Author's Note:**

> i write this, staring at my own butterfly
> 
> [the butterfly project](https://www.7cups.com/qa-self-harm-19/what-is-the-butterfly-project-178/)

Virgil's drawing butterflies again.

Tongue tucked between his teeth, his hoodie sleeves rolled up, Remus watches him outline a red butterfly with painstaking concentration. A light blue and dark blue butterfly already flutter their monochromatic wings on his arm. A rainbow-winged butterfly curls around his wrist.

"Virge?" Remus asks, sitting cross-legged on the chair next to his boyfriend and the pack of markers in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing butterflies," Virgil says, as if it's the simplest thing in the world. Purple-hued hair flops in his eyes and he huffs an exasperated breath. Finishing with the red butterfly, he starts outlining a yellow butterfly between the red and dark blue ones. Remus's brow creases in thought.

"Why?" He asks. His voice is hushed, and Virgil seems to appreciate it. Sometimes it feels good to be quiet, to hold everything precious like a fragile thing.

"It's a thing Thomas read about," Virgil explains. "You draw butterflies on yourself that represent people you care about. When you want to-" He stops, taking a deep breath. "When you want to hurt yourself," he finishes. "It um, it helps sometimes."

Remus looks at him. The sunlight through the kitchen window dapples him. He can smell the markers as Virgil colors in the yellow butterfly.

"Am I next?" Remus asks. Virgil nods, selecting an acid green marker. This butterfly is the biggest of all, and Virgil's tongue pokes out between his teeth again as he concentrates. Remus side-eyes him as he starts to color in the green butterfly.

"May I have a marker?" Remus questions. Surprised, Virgil nods. Remus grabs a purple marker and looks to Virgil for permission before delicately feathering purple lines into Virgil's skin, outlining a purple butterfly, too.

"Why purple?" Virgil asks. He sounds slightly amused. Remus fills it in with a lighter shade of purple, humming absently.

"Because," he says. "It's important to care about yourself, too." Surprised, Virgil looks up, and Remus can see tears start to gather in the corners of his eyes, a few escaping to trail down his cheeks. Remus reaches over and carefully wipes them away, absentmindedly licking off his fingers.

"Thanks, babe," Virgil says, his voice wobbly. Remus smiles, leaning over to kiss Virgil's forehead.

"Any time, storm cloud," he says. "Wanna watch a movie and cuddle? I promise not to say _too_ many gross things." A watery smile crosses Virgil's face.

"It's a deal," he says.


End file.
